Holmes and Rahe (1967)

Aim: the aim of this study was to investigate whether scores on the Holmes and Rahe social readjustment rating scale were correlated with the subsequent onset of illness.

2,500 male american sailors were given the SRRS to assess how many life events they had experienced in the previous six months, they then kept a record of this score.

strengths

a strength of Holmes and Rahe 's work is that it has evidence to support its findings. for example jacobs et al asked parents to do an SRE ( a type of stress scale) and found that children from families with lots of life changes were more likely to develop cancer than children from less stressed families. this suggests that research in to life changes as a source of stress is backed up and that stress caused by life changes can have a negative effect on health.

Aim: the aim of this study was to investigate whether scores on the Holmes and Rahe social readjustment rating scale were correlated with the subsequent onset of illness.

2,500 male american sailors were given the SRRS to assess how many life events they had experienced in the previous six months, they then kept a record of this score.

over the following 6 moths they kept detailed records were kept of the sailors health status . they recorded the amount of life changes correlated with their illness scores.

the researchers concluded that as life changing units were positively correlated with illness scores (+0.118), experiencing life events increases the of stress related health break down. however the correlation wasn't perfect, thus suggesting that they may other factors affecting it.

Weaknesses

Ethnocentric and androcentric

the researchers concluded that as life changing units were positively correlated with illness scores (+0.118), experiencing life events increases the of stress related health break down. however the correlation wasn't perfect, thus suggesting that they may other factors affecting it.

strengths

a strength of Holmes and Rahe 's work is that it has evidence to support its findings. for example jacobs et al asked parents to do an SRE ( a type of stress scale) and found that children from families with lots of life changes were more likely to develop cancer than children from less stressed families. this suggests that research in to life changes as a source of stress is backed up and that stress caused by life changes can have a negative effect on health.